When you think of balloon art, you typically think of a clown or magician quickly wrapping together a balloon or two to make a dog or sword. Scott Trip is a Nashville based children's entertainer who is working to redefine the traditional idea of balloon artist. The first girl to arrive at Scott's show that I attended approached him and gently asked him to make her a dog. He asked if he could make her something different and if she didn't like it, he would make her a dog. After completing a flower bracelet with a heart on top, he asked her if she still wanted a dog. She eagerly said she didn't, and she wanted to keep the bracelet.

Throughout the rest of his show, I saw a variety of children come in wanting one thing, and walking out with something different: something better than they had asked for. Bow and arrows, ray guns, basketball games, panda bears, Peppa Pigs. Scott proved his creative diversity over the span of this short show.

Afterwards, Scott and I were talking and he remarked that balloon art is different from most art forms. Most art forms are constantly changing and growing. People traditionally think of balloon art in a limited way: you can make the same three objects and people will be happy. He doesn't want that to be any excuse for him to not continue to think of how he can improve and grow the art. Scott's genuine love for what he does, and the reverence he has for his art makes him a gifted artist and brilliant entertainer for both children and parents.